Having high cholesterol is quite risky, it increases the chances of heart diseases, causes angina, and worst of all, puts you on a strict diet. “Don’t eat this,” “Don’t eat that” – the whole charade gets boring and old real fast. But, it doesn’t have to be this difficult. You can still continue to snack and eat your favorite foods with some adjustments. So, here are six guilt-free snacks for those having high cholesterol.

Nuts

Nuts are an iconic snack – they’re healthy, they’re wholesome, they’ve got all the good nutrients, especially a ton of proteins. And, that’s not all, research proves that eating two ounces of nuts each day is healthy for your heart. It helps lower the level of LDL (bad cholesterol) in the body. So, go grab a handful of those almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and more and snack away.

Foods fortified with sterols and stanols

Sterols and stanols that are produced from plants help the body absorb cholesterol. So, try getting foods that have these additives. Two grams of plant sterols or stanols a day helps lower bad cholesterol by about 10%. You can also take these in the form of supplements after checking with your doctor.

Oats

Oatmeal is another great and delicious way to reduce the LDL cholesterol in your bloodstream. If oatmeal is not to your taste, you can opt for any oat-based cereal such as Cheerios. It’ll cheer your snack-time right up!

Fruits and veggies

There’s no doubt that fruits and vegetables are the healthiest foods of all. To lower the level of LDL in your body, opt for fruits like apples, grapes, strawberries, and citrus fruits. These contain a fiber called pectin that helps lower the bad cholesterol. While veggies may not be your go-to snack choice, they have a great effect on your body. Try pre-cutting and storing veggies, so you don’t have to struggle any more than you did.

Vegetable oils

Switch out your base from butter and lard to oils made from sunflower seeds, safflower, olive, and canola. Each of these vegetable oils helps reduce the intake of LDL in the body.

Soy

In the past, soy was considered as a good item to help reduce the cholesterol in the body. Recent studies have shown that it’s not amazing but it does decently help in reducing the LDL. If you don’t like eating plain soy proteins, mix it up a bit. Try a soy burger with whole-wheat bread or maybe even try tofu and soy milk.

Popcorn

Popcorn is another healthy snack. It’s a whole-grain food that can be air-popped at home with ingredients of your choice. You may want to steer clear of the buttered and salty popcorn choices. Rather, replace butter with vegetable oil of your choice, which will help decrease LDL and increase HDL (good cholesterol) in the body.